Part 7/11:
Considering the broader cosmos, the nearest galaxy outside the Milky Way is Andromeda, located about 2.5 million light-years away. If Earth were scaled down to a tiny object, Andromeda would be immense in size but still incredibly distant. Its relative motion compared to us is also slow in human timescales—taking thousands of years to notice significant positional changes.
Interestingly, galaxies like Andromeda are moving toward us, and in about 4.5 billion years, they are expected to collide and merge. But from our vantage point, their apparent motions are minimal over short periods, again due to their vast distances.
Why No Significant Stellar Shift Is Observed
The core reason we don't see stars moving noticeably against the backdrop of the night sky is because: